Dipper-door control for shovels



Feb. 21, 1928.

E. H. LICHTENBERG DIPPER DOOR CONTROL FOR SHOVELS Filed me 2, 1925 4Sheets-Sheet l in 0cm hvo HE m NW1 [El m/zbery Feb. 21, 1928.

E. H. LICHTENBERG DIPPER DOOR CONTROL FOR SHOVELS Filed June 2, 1925 4Sheets-Sheet 2 Feb. 21, 1928. v 1,659,824

E. H. LICHTENBERG DIPPER DOOR CONTROL FOR SHOVELS Filed June 2, 1.925 4Sheets-Sheet 5 Z'Hlz'dikmbarg Feb. 21, 1928.

E. H. LICHTENBERG DIPPER DOOR CONTROL FOR SHOVELS 4- Sheets-Sheet 4Patented Feb. 21. 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ERICH H. LICHTENBERG, OF MILWAUKEE,WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOB TO KOEHBING COMPANY, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ACORPORATION.

DIPPEBi-DOOR CONTROL FOR SHOVELS.

Application filed June 2,

In the common types of power shovel cranes as used today the dipper dooris ordinarily operated for the dumping of the dipper or shovel by a triprope which runs from a latch operating part coacting with the latchmeans for the door, back to the car or body of the crane above theoperator or adjacent to him. The trip rope usually runs over a sheave orpulley and is supplied with a weight so that the rope may pay out as theshovel dipper moves outwards and be drawn in automatically as the dipperswings toward the machine. The above arrangement of the trip rope makesnecessary a pulling thereon by the operator of the shovel each time thedipper is to be dumped and customarily the pull is effected by theoperator grasping the trip rope and pulling inwards thereon. When it isborne in mind that the efliciently operated crane of the shovel type mayrequire dumping of the dipper as much as four times a minute, it will beseen that the operator of the machine is subjected to the expenditure ofquite a little effort constantly in the operation of the shovel to emptythe same. In fact, it might be said with some degree of accuracy thatthe exertion involved in dumping the shovel by pulling on the trip ropeis greater through the inconvenient arrangement of the rope, than theoperation of the various levers that control the hoisting swinging andother operations of the dipper.

In the carrying out of this invention I have designed means whereby tomaterially reduce the labor or effort of dumping the dipper, renderingthis phase of the operation of the power shovel negligible so far as theexpenditure of the effort on the part of the operator is concerned. Tothe above' end I utilize a novel tension means lor the trip rope orcable to automatically wind the same in and 'pay it out according to themovements of the dipper, said tension means being a part of an actuatingunit including a brake for stopping the turning of a tension drum orreel and operable by means of a lever which greatly facilitates theactuation of a trip rope to produce the desired 1925. Serial 1%. 34,421.

result with the employment of a minimum amount of work or manual effort.

Oneembodiment of the invention is set forth in the accompanyingdrawings, in which Figure 1 isa diagrammatic view of a frame of theshovel type showing the invention 1n operative relation to the maincontrol levers.

'Figure 2 is an enlarged view illustrating the range of movement of thetrip rope actuating unit by the full and dotted line positions shown.Figure 3 is a View of the part illustrated 111 Figure 2 but looking atit from the front of the machine.

Figure 4 is an enlarged sectional view showing more clearly the interiorconstruction of the spring winding drum.

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view taken transversely of the view ofFigure 4 and showing substantially the same parts.

Figure 6 is a detail view of the upper lever member upon which thewinding drum 1s hung.

Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 6 showing the lower lever memberthat is pivoted to the upper lever member and has a brake or stop meansfor preventing rotation of the winding drum.

Figures 8 and 9 are sectional and side elevational side viewsrespectively of amodified form of the invention;

. Fig. 10 is a detailed view of the handle lever member;

Figure 11 is a side view showing a further modification of theinvention.

In Figure 1 I designate the body of the power shovel at l and 2 is thetraction support therefor. At 3 is denoted the turntable mountingbetween the traction support 2 and the crane or body support 1, thelatter being the usual car body well known in the art and containing theoperating mameans for the dipper stick'5 and dipper 6 may be of any wellknown type, same being immaterial to the invention.

For purposes of controlling the movements of the boom and dipperfeatures of the machine I employ a suitable lever stand having the draglever 9, dipper hoist lever 10, 'boom hoist lever 11 and boom swinglever12.

Mounted on the car 1 and preferably hung from a bracket 13 secured tothe top frame of the car, is a lever unit comprising the upper levermember 14 and the lower lever member 15, the latter having a handle 16.The parts14 and 15 are of somewhat yoke-like form seen best perhaps inFigures 3 and 5. This form is preferably used because between the spacedsides of the parts 14 and 15 is mounted the paying out and winding indrum 17 with winch the trip rope or cable 7 is connected. The cable 7 isattached in any suitable way at 1ts outer end to the latch means bywhich the door 8 is locked closed during the digging operations of thedipper. Enclosed in the drum 17 and attached at one end to the immovableaxis 19 of the drum is a spring 20 the opposite end of which is attachedto the portion of the drum on which the rope or cable 7 winds. The axis19 of the drum or reel 17 is carried by the lever member 14 which isequipped with a forwardly extending bracket 14 provided with a pivot21'that forms a fulcrum for the lever member 15. At its upper end thelever member 15 is connected by a spring 22 with the upper portion ofthe lever member 14. Intermediate the handle 16 of the lever member 15and the peripheries of the sides of the drum or reel 7 is a brake orstop bar 23 capable of being pulled into engagement with the saidportions of the drum sides but normally held spaced there from as shownin Figure 4 by means of the spring 22. The handle 16 is designed to belocated very near to and just above the dipper hoist lever 10 and withthe construction of the part in mind as hereinbefore presented theoperation of the mechanism of my invention may now be set forth.

Normally the parts of the trip cable control means above described aresupported in the positions of full lines illustrated in F igures'2 and4. The spring 20 normally tends to turn the drum 17 to wind the cable 7upon the winding barrel of said drum. This action of the spring 20maintains the cable 7 under tension or pulled relatively taut. But theaction of the drum 17 under the influence of the spring 20 is not ofsuflicient power to move the cable 7 to trip the latch means holding thedumping door 8 closed. Said tension, however, is sufiicient' to maintainthe operating features of the control unit in the position of Figure 4wherein the upper projecting end 14 of the lever member 14 abuts withthe stop late 24 that limits the forward swinging o the wholecontroldevice.

Supposing that the operator has operated the swing lever 12 after thedipper 6 has been loaded, and by swinging the dipper over the placewhere it is to be dumped, and has also operated the hoist lever toelevate the dipper in the usual way during its the brake bar 23 toengage the drum 17 whereupon the drum is locked against turning and thecable 7 cannot unwind therefrom. A slightly additional pull upon thelever 15 by the handle 16 then rocks the control unit comprising the twolever members 14 and 15, with the drum 17 and exerts a pull upon therope 7 sufficient to unlatch the door 8 and cause dumping of the dipper.I incline the control unit comprising the arts 14 and 15, and the drum17, rela-' tive y to a vertical plane so that the effort required topull or swing said unit to the left as shown in Figures 2 and 4 isassisted by the weight of the parts. "Obviously, the location of thiscontrol unit in relation to the lever 10, and the mounting andconstruction of said unit are such that the dumping cable operation maybe effected by the expenditure of very slight effort on the part of theoperator of the machine, and this is of material advantage for reasonsobvious to those versed inthe art to which my invention appertains.

The modified form of my invention illustrated in Figures 8 to 10 is nowdescribed; and embodies substantially the same construction as I haveheretofore presented.

In this modification, I provide a drum 17, actuated by means of thespring 20, and

carried by a lever unit comprising the parts 14' and 15, somewhat thesame as heretofore described. In the present described construction,however, I make the handle lever member 15', which has the handleportion 16', of slightly angular formation. Said lever member 15' isequipped with the stop or brake means in the form of the angular brakeor stop arms or dogs 23 which are seen best in Fig. 10. The said armsare provided with rounded teeth 23" which are adapted to interlockinglyand thus positively engage with correspondingly shaped teeth andrecesses formed circumferentially of the drum 17 on both of itsperipheral flanges, as shown at 17". The lever unit just described andthe drum which is carried by the lever member 14' is very similar to theparts in Figs. 2 and 3, but the notches or recesses 17 offer a means ofbetter engagement between the handle lever member 15 and the drum thanis provided by the stop or brake bar 23 of the first describedconstruction.

As seen from Fig. 9 and also Fig. 10, the arms 23' are equipped with thepivot lugs Small coil springs 30 encircle these pivot lugs, each springhaving one of its ends engaged with the adjacent arm 23' and its otherend engaged with the upper lever member 14' so that the tendency of thesprings coacting with the two-arms 23' is to hold the handle of thelever member 15 so that the stop arms 23 are normally disengaged fromthe notched peripheral flange portions of the drum 17. Obviously, whenthe handle 16' is grasped and pulled downwardly the initial movement ofthe handle rocks lever member 15 and the arms 23 thereby causing theteeth 23 to engage in suitable ones of the notches or recesses 23",thereby braking or looking the drum 17 against turning whereupon thefurther Turning now to Fig. 11, it is notable that a rearrangement ofthe lever unit and drum controlling means of my invention inthe cab orcar has been made; In this view, Fig. 11, the lever unit or drummechanism is substantially the same as shown and described in Figs. 8 to10, inclusive, excepting that the controlling means instead of beingdisposed above the lever assembly shown in Figs. 2 and 3, is placedfarther back in the car or cab body. Under some conditions, thecontrolling means of the invention as placed in Figs. 1 to 3 mayinterfere with the clear vision. of the operator of the crane, may beinconveniently disposed in regard to the other mechanism of the machineor may interfere with the operators free exit or movement when stationedin the cab. This is due to the fact that the controlling means islocated near the top of the door opening at the side of the cab.Therefore, it may be desirable as shown in Fig. 11 to arrange thecontrolling means back in the cab in which event the auxiliary leveractuating device will be availed of. This auxiliary connectionv shown ascomprising a hand lever 32 havingthe handle 33 and pivoted on a crossshaft 34. An arm 35 projects up from the cross shaft 34 and is con- 15of the lever unit of the controllin means substantially the same asheretof ore set forth excepting that the actuating means for the drum 17to effect operation of the trip cable for the bucket dump door is remotefrom the said drum. The trip cable 7 leads from the drum 17' to theguiding sheaves 38 on the frame of the machine and to the pulley 39,which is at 40 from the saddle block 41 by which the handle of theshovel dipper is carried and guided in its movement. This arrangement ofthe cable as resgects the pulley 39 and saddle block 41 is use in Fig. 1also.

It is understood of course that the controlling means herein set forthis adaptable for use on different kinds of shovel dipper cranes, in factit is generally advantageous for use in connection with any machineswhere a dump bucket or shovel member is employed having a trip actuateddumpmg door or dumping means. It is not, there-- fore, limited to thetype of shovel dipper crane illustrated in Figs. 1 and 11, owing to thebroad utility for uses such as above referred to.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Let ters Patent, is:

1. In a shovel crane, a car body, having an operators position,upstanding shovel dipper controlling levers at the said position, apendently suspended swingablc unit arranged above the levers, a shoveldipper having dumping means, a rope retrieving means connected with thedumping means and rotatably pivoted on the said swingable unit, and atrip rope terminating about the retrieving means aforesaid andoperableto actuate the dumping means.

2. In a shovel crane of the class described, in combination, a car body,a shovel dipper mounted thereon and comprising dumping means, a tripcable controlling said dumping means and leading therefrom to the carbody, control lever ineans for the operation of the dipper mounted onthe car body and a control unit for actuating the trip cable to dump thedipper and located so near to the control lever means aforesaid that theoperator of the crane may readily shift his hand from the control levermeans to the control unit as and for the purpose described, meanssupporting the control unit for swinging movement and means intermediatethe control unit and the tri cable normally main.- taining the trip cale under tension and holding the control unit in a. position ofinclination such that its weight assists in actuating movementthereofunder manual. operation.

3. In a shovel crane of' the class described, in combination, a carbody, a dipper mounted thereon for the customary excavating operations,a dumping trip cable associated with the dipper" for dumping the same, awinding drum on the car body and with which the trip cable is connected,means associated with said drum for maintaining the cable under tensionand means for movi' 1g the drum bodily to swing the same for exerting adumping pull on the cable.

4. In a shovel crane of the class described, in combination, a carbody,'a dipper mounted thereon for the customary excavating operations,a dumping trip cable associated with the dipper for dumping the same, a

'winding drum on the carbody and with which the trip cable is connected,means associated with said drum for maintaining the cable under tension,sufficient to hold it taut but insufficient to effect dumping actionthereof, and means for moving the drum bodily to effect dumping actionof the cable.

5. In a shovel crane of the class described, in combination, a car body,a dipper mounted thereon for the customary excavating operations, adumping trip cable associated with the dipper for dumping the same, awinding drum on the car body and with which the trip cable is connected,means associated with said drum for maintaining the cable under tension,insufficient to cause dumping action of the cable and permitting thecable to pay out and Wind in incident to movements of the shovel dipper,and means cooperative with the drum to prevent turning thereof and forswinging the drum bodily to exert a pull on the cable for effectingdumping operation thereof.

6. In a shovel crane of the class described,

in combination, a car body, a dipper mounted thereon for the customaryexcavating operations, a dumping trip cable associated with the dipperfor dumping the same, a drum on the car body and with which the tripcable is connected, and means for moving the drum bodily to effectdumping action of the cable.

7. In a shovel crane, a car body, a dipper, dumping means for the dipperincluding a trip cable and control means on the car body including aunit comprising a winding drum with which said dumping cable isconnected, means for causing winding action of the cable on said drumand permitting it to pay out both incident to ordinary movements of theshovel without effecting dumping action of said cable and means forstopping the turning of the drum and shifting the same to produce adumping actuation ofthe cable, including a lever unit swingingly mountedon the car body and composed of a member supporting the drum and amember having a handle and connected to the first mentioned member formovement relative thereto, said second mentioned member having a braketo stop the turning of the drum and being adapted to be swung to movethe lever unit and drum for dumping actuation of the cable.

8. A control unit for dumping cables of power shovels consisting of adrum, means for turning said drum to wind a dumping cable thereon, alever unit supporting the drum and comprising a'brake art to engage thedrum and prevent its turning, said lever unit being movable to initiallyengage said brake with the drum and subsequently move thgldrum to causedumping actuation of the ca e.

9. A control unit for dumping cables of power shovels consisting of adrum, means for turning said drum to wind a dumping cable thereon, alever unit supporting the drum and comprising a brake part to engage thedrum and prevent its turning,

said lever unit being movable to initially engage said brake with thedrum and subsequently move the drum to cause dumping actuation of thecable, the lever unit comprising an upper member on which the drum ismounted to turn and a lower handle member carrying the brake aforesaidand pivotally mounted on the upper member so as to move independently ofthe latter substantiall as described.

10. In a umping door trip mechanism of the class set forth, incombination, dumping means for a shovel dipper, including a trip cable,means normally maintaining said trip cable taut, and a controllingdevice connected with the last named means to shift the said means,bodily, and thereby to impart a dumping action to the dumping means.

11. In a shovel crane of the class described, in combination, a carbody, a dipper mounted thereon for the customary excavating operations,a dumping trip cable associated with the dipper-for dumping the same, adrum on the car body and with which the trip cable is connected, formaintaining the cable under tension, insufficient to cause dumpingaction of the cable and permitting the cable to move incident tomovements of the shovel dipper, and means for swinging the drum bodilyto exert a pull on the cable for effecting dumping operation thereof.

12. In a shovel crane, a car body, a dipper, dumping means for thedipper including a trip cable, and control means on the car bodyincluding a unit comprising a drum with which the cable operates, andmeans to move the drum bodily to place the cable under trip actuatingtension for operating said dumping means.

13. In a shovel crane, in combination, a boom, a dipper handle, anddipper therefor, saddle block means on the boom for cooperating with thedipper handle, a dump door for the dipper, a trip cable for said dumpdoor, a car body in which an operator is adapted to station himself andto which the cable leads, and guiding means for said cable carried bysaid saddle block means, a drum on the car body connected with the tripcable and adapted to wind in and pay out said cable, and means forshifting said drum after rendering the cable stationary relative theretoto effect door dumping movement of said dumping door.

14. In a shovel crane, in combination, a car body, a dipper, means foroperating the said dipper, dumping means for the dipper including a tripcable, and control means on the car body including a unit embodying apivoted lever, a drum carried by the lever and controlling the actuationof said trip cable, said lever having means whereby the drum may bemoved bodily to impart trip movement of the cable for causing dumping ofthe dipper.

15. In a shovel crane, a car body, a dipper, means for operating thedipper to rack the same in and crowd it out, dumping means for thedipper including a trip cable, and

control means on the car body for the trip cable including a pendentpivoted lever, a drum carried by said lever and having the trip cableoperatively associated therewith, and a handle for swinging said leverto move the drum bodily to impart actuating movement to the cable forcausing dumping of the dipper.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

ERICH I-I. LICHTENBERG.

